Stranger Danger
by Caris L. Clearwater
Summary: Diana and Drake learn the hard way about the consequences of ignoring their mothers' advice: don't accept rides from strangers. A weird oneshot and a non-romance Drake/Diana. Before Hunger and Lies. For Miss Rouge Apple!


**A/N: People of Gone, hello and good day! Welcome to the strangest story to ever enter the Gone fandom. I'm sure by the time you've finished reading, you'll agree completely. It takes place before the beginning of Hunger with only, say, one spoiler. So, if you haven't gotten around to reading the second book yet, I don't believe this will impair your enjoyment of it in the least. **

**Dedication: To Miss Rouge Apple. Because you freaking deserve it, girl. Thanks for being a wonderful, patient, awesome-possum!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gone, the poem The Lesson of the Moth, or the song Distrubia by Rihana. **

**Important Note!: Okay, so I went a little haywire with my vocabulary and looked up a bunch of weird words and phrases for this story online. For my readers' convenience, I've posted the definitions of said words and phrases at the end of the story. If you don't recognize something, it's probably there. **

"_i was talking to a moth  
the other evening  
he was trying to break into  
an electric light bulb  
and fry himself on the wires…"_

Diana Landris, with thorns in her hair and her clothes spattered with mud, was _not _in a good mood. Right about now, she'd have given anything to kill Caine Soren. Anything. Because it was clear that he was out to kill _her_.

"It's just a scouting mission, Diana," Caine had consoled her as she paced around his room.

Diana had thrown the sickly boy a menacing glare. "Then why don't _you _go do it?"

Caine had sighed, running his fingers through his nigrine hair. "I'm too weak. Now, stop making such a fuss and get on with it. I want a report from you in two days. Any more time and I'll think you've been captured."

Diana's nigricant eyes narrowed into slits. She sent him a withering glare.

"I understand all of that. What I _don't _understand is why Drake has to come with me."

Caine rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Diana, do you really think you could fend off one of the freaks in Perdido Beach by yourself? You need protection."

Diana snorted. "It's not the freaks I'll be needing protection from."

"He won't hurt you."

"Caine, are you brain dead? That's all Drake wants to do! I bet he dreams up ways to do it in all his spare time!"

Caine growled, growing frustrated. "He's under my orders, so he won't. Inconvenienced as I may be, Drake knows who the stronger of us is."

Caine took a moment to pause and control his anger.

"Now, enough of this. Get going, Diana. I want that report on time."

With a muted curse, Diana spun on her heel and exited, slamming the door shut as she did so.

"…_why do you fellows  
pull this stunt i asked him…" _

And now it was one day later, and Diana was running around in the forest with Drake Merwin as her bodyguard. As if things couldn't get any worse.

"Move it, Landris," Drake barked, clearly enjoying himself. "I want to make it at least halfway to Perdido Beach before midnight!"

Diana ground her teeth together, ignoring the mocking glances Drake's gunmetal grey eyes were shooting her. Ignoring Drake was a sure way to tick him off, but then again, what wasn't?

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Merwin yelled again, snapping his whip on the dirt.

"Yes!" Diana hissed. "And by now, so is all of Perdido Beach! Could you be any louder?"

Drake's icy eyes narrowed into thin slits.

Diana felt her heart speed up as she waited for Drake to fight back or whip her. But he didn't. He simply watched her with expressionless eyes.

After a few more hours in hell, Drake announced that they would be stopping for the night. He pointed past a thick-looking patch of trees and declared the clearing to be their "campsite".

"I trust you remembered to bring the necessities," Diana commented as she flopped down on a soft patch of grass.

Drake gave a wolfish grin as he fiddled with his backpack. "Oh, yes, I did," he said.

Diana felt a shiver go up her spine. Whenever Drake took on a civil tone, he usually had something painful in store.

"But…what's this? Oh, damn, it looks like I forgot to bring two sleeping bags. Guess one of us is going to have to sleep cold."

He lowered his sneering face close to hers.

"You really shouldn't tick me off, Landris. Not now."

Diana gulped but refrained from saying anything as Drake stalked off, a warm sleeping bag in one hand and matches for a fire in the other.

"…_because it is the conventional  
thing for moths…"_

Diana slept, cold and uncomfortable, on her dirt bed. She curled into a ball and tried not to let her teeth chatter so loud. Her arms and legs ached from walking for so long and prying branches from her face. She felt like death.

And then she heard it. _Snap. _

Diana froze, her eyes fluttering open. She sat up, arms held close to her sides, listening.

_Snap. _

"Drake?" Diana hissed. "Drake, is that you?"

_Crunch. _

"This isn't funny, Merwin," she growled, more annoyed than angry. Only Drake Merwin would lurk around in the woods, snapping sticks, to get a scare out of her. Still, as long as it was Drake, she knew what she was dealing with.

_Snap. _

"I'm serious, Drake, the joke's over. Just go back to sleep."

There was no response. No dark chuckle, no taunts, no mocking words. Just silence. And silence wasn't really Drake's style.

_Crunch! _

And what if it wasn't Drake? _It couldn't be_, Diana thought. _No one knows we're out here except Caine. _

_Unless it's a wild animal. _

Diana felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end. Every muscle in her body froze. Diana's breath was ragged and shallow, her heart beating faster and faster.

Slowly, with the utmost caution, she turned around.

To stare into the eyes of a hungry mountain lion.

"_DRAKE!" _

"…_or why  
if that had been an uncovered  
candle instead of an electric  
light bulb you would  
now be a small unsightly cinder…"_

Drake Merwin jolted awake to the terrified screams of Diana Landris. No, scratch that; terrified was an understatement. More like blood curdling or panic driven.

Drake jumped out of his sleeping bag, his stormy eyes scanning the area for any immediate threats. His whip uncoiled itself from around his waist, and Drake felt around for his pistol, which he kept on his person at all times.

Except it wasn't there.

"What the _hell_?" Drake hissed. His pistol was gone. Disappeared.

He shook his head, mystified. Where could it have gone?

"_DRAKE! DRAKE, HELP ME, YOU IDIOT!" _

Drake's head jerked up as the branches around him snapped. Diana's cries were closer, and, if he wasn't mistaken, so were her feet.

A half a second later, Diana crashed through the trees, sweating and panting, practically throwing herself into Drake's arms. She ended up knocking them both over, the duo slamming into a particularly rough tree.

"What the hell, Landris!" Drake roared. "Get off me, bitch!"

But Diana didn't move. Whatever was out there had her so terrified, even the promise of Drake's whip on her back didn't deter her from her frantic scrambling to get behind Drake and out of the way of whatever was out there.

"What is going on? Answer me!"

Trembling, Diana lifted up her head. "There's a mountain lion after me."

Drake rolled his eyes. "You're mental," he concluded, standing up and brushing himself off. "There aren't any mountain lions in this area of the woods. They live up in the _mountains _and higher ground, you twit."

Diana just shook her head.

"What's the matter; cat got your tongue?" Drake howled with laughter at his own joke.

"You say that all the mountain lions are miles away from us?" Diana repeated, her vacant eyes staring about an inch above Drake's shoulder.

"Yeah, I did. What are you, deaf _and_ dumb?"

Diana shook her head. "If there aren't any mountain lions around here, Drake, then what the hell are those?"

She pointed behind him.

Drake slowly turned around.

"HOLY 'EFFING SH—"

Drake was caught off mid-curse by the roar of an angry mountain lion. No, scratch that, _two _angry mountain lions. They bared their teeth, chartreuse eyes glaring hungrily at them.

Drake weighed his options. He could stay and fight, but that would be suicide. His only real option was to make a run for it and hope to somehow loose them.

He gave a sidelong glace at Diana. In this state, she would only slow him down. Best to leave her behind.

After a split second of enjoying the prospect of Diana being left to a hungry animal's mercy, he took off at a sprint. The lions were, sadly, close behind. For some weird reason they had abandoned the easy prey in favor of the challenge.

Drake gritted his teeth and held back a scream of frustration. How was it that he was the one who was going to end up getting killed?

"Drake! Wait for me!"

Oh. My. God. Was she _serious? _

Instead of doing the smart, sensible thing, which was to wait by the tree for a few seconds before taking off in the _opposite direction, _Diana was chasing after him. Unbelievable!

"Drake! Don't leave me here, you idiot!"

For a short girl, she was fast. Diana was nearly caught up with Drake within a few seconds, running purely on adrenaline and fear. She was sweating, her hair was wild, and her clothes were ripped, but for once Diana didn't seem to care.

Drake was about to comment on her stupidity, when he decided to stay silent. Maybe if he was very, _very _lucky, the lions would take Diana down and loose interest in him.

But that never happened. Though Drake continued to hear the lion's roars and growls, they disappeared from sight. It was as though they'd vanished into the trees like ghosts.

After twenty minutes of sprinting, Drake was exhausted. Diana wasn't any better, and after the roaring and growling had ceased for a few minutes, both collapsed where they stood on the ground, gasping for breath.

Drake put his head between his knees to calm the dizziness that was threatening to overtake him. He closed his eyes and wished desperately for enough energy to slap Diana for living. It simply wasn't fair what he had to put up with.

"Oh," Diana moaned. "Oh, thank god. We're safe."

And that did it. Drake glared up at her, his eyes wild. "Safe?" he questioned. "Safe? Are you crazy? We're the furthest thing from safe! Take a look around, would you?"

Drake gestured to their surroundings with a sweep of his hand. "We're miles away from any of our known landmarks, we have no food, and it's the dead of night! We are so far from safe, it isn't even in this _time zone!" _

Diana's eyes turned hard and cold throughout Drake's speech. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, a bit of her pride returning.

"At least I lost the mountain lions for us."

Drake's eyes bulged out of his head. "_What? _Are you stupid? I lost them! You chased after _me_, you dumb bitch! They were ignoring you when I ran!"

"So you wanted me to stay behind and not save your sorry ass?"

Drake's eyes twitched. "I should just kill you now."

"For what?" Diana screeched.

"For being such _a freaking idiot!_"

Hot with anger, Drake raised his whip arm, prepared to strike, when music pierced the night. Shocked, both Diana and Drake froze, listening intently to the music. It was a Rihana song, blasting loud from the open windows of a blue convertible. And it was heading their way.

"Crap," Drake cursed, letting his whip fall to the ground. There would be plenty of time for that later.

"Hide," Diana whispered, saying the first intelligent thing in Drake's ears that week.

The pair dove into some bushes, crouching low and watching as the convertible parked on the side of the road. Drake couldn't help but let out a low whistle; it was a heck of a car.

"What do you think they're doing?" Diana wondered, her breath hitting Drake's ear, a feeling he did not appreciate as many other males would have.

"Like I know," Drake grumbled.

Suddenly the music increased in volume, the ground beneath them practically vibrating in time with it.

"_I'm going crazy, now! No more gas in the Red (can't even get it started). Nothing heard, nothing said (can't even speak about it). I'm alive on my head (don't wanna think about it.) Feels like I'm going insane, yeah!" _

Then the doors to the car opened.

Out of the driver's seat stepped a boy around Drake's age with castory-colored skin and cardinal hair. He was wearing simple jeans and a black top, and he leaned against the side of the car with ease.

Out of the passenger's seat stepped a girl about a year younger than Diana. She had odd whey-colored skin that shown in the moonlight and stramineous hair. She grinned at the castory boy and beckoned him closer, her cupid's bow lips turned out in a pout.

When they began to make-out, Diana got her answer.

"_It's a thief in the night to come and grab you. It can creep up inside you and consume you. A disease of the mind, it can control you. It's too close for comfort." _

"Come on," Drake murmured. "Let's get out of here before they stop sucking face and notice us."

Diana nodded, and both rose at the same time.

They tip-toed back toward the menacing forest and almost made it there, before Drake tripped on a tree root and stumbled.

"Who's there?" the whey-colored girl called out.

Diana and Drake swore under their breath at the same time. Any townie they met would undoubtedly want to kill them. They would have to fight their way past those two with the disadvantage of being exhausted from their run.

"Is someone out there?" the girl called again.

Diana and Drake heard two sets of feet walk forward and in their direction. Before they had a chance to hide, the couple was upon them.

"Who are you?" the girl repeated. She hung onto the arm of her darker boyfriend, who was glaring suspiciously at Diana and Drake. Diana was surprised the couple hadn't recognized them already.

"No one you need to worry about," Drake threatened, stepping out from the shadows.

The girl gasped and her boyfriend's eyes widened at the sight of Drake's whip arm. Diana was still amazed when the couple hadn't run away screaming. Surely, they now recognized them and were going to try and alert Sam.

"What is that?" the boy asked, reaching out a hand to touch Drake's arm.

"It's none of your business." Drake pulled back his whip.

"Um, are you lost?" the girl asked in all innocence.

"Yes. Yes, we are," Diana responded warily.

Drake shot her a glare. "No, we're not," he growled.

"Yes, we _are_."

"Would you just shut up, Diana?"

"What? You _want_ to wander around this forest for the rest of our lives?"

"We are not lost!"

"So you know where we are, then?"

"Well…I…"

"Exactly." Diana turned to the couple, triumphant. "We're lost."

The innocent-looking girl who was not so innocently dressed (a denim miniskirt and a tight-fitting black top) smiled at them. "Well, we've got wheels. Why don't you hop in? We'll give you all a lift, right, Mark?"

The boy, Mark, gave a small shrug. "I guess."

The girl clapped her hands together. "Great!" she said. "Then it's all settled. Come on, you two. We can't stand out here all night."

"_Watch out," _Rihana continued to sing. _"You might just fall under. Better think twice."_

Diana gave a nod and followed the pair, a disgruntled Drake at her side. He knew there was something off, something wrong with these kids, though he didn't yet know _what_.

"_Your mind's in Disturbia; it's like the darkness is the light." _

"Wait," Drake suddenly said. The party halted. "How do we know you won't turn us into Sam?"

The girl opened her hyacinth eyes wide, as if startled by the question. "I wouldn't do that! Not to kids who're lost and need a ride. Sam's just our mayor, not the over-seer of our lives. Isn't that right, Mark?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah, we're no snitches, Bethany and me."

Drake frowned, but seemed satisfied with their answer. A moment later they were piling into the convertible, music reverberating off the walls.

"_Disturbia; am I scaring you tonight?" _

"Is the music too loud for you?" Mark yelled.

"Just a bit," Drake deadpanned.

"_Disturbia; ain't used to what you like." _

"Okay, we'll turn it down," Bethany said, reaching for the dial with a palled hand.

"_Disconnecting on call (the phone don't even ring). I gotta get out, or figure this shit out. It's too close for comfort! Oh-oh-oh-oh!" _

After a moment of fiddling the music was turned down, and Diana could hear herself think. The car started with a muted roar, and the windows were rolled down.

"Do you enjoy the breeze?" Bethany asked as Mark pulled away from the curb.

"Uh, sure," Diana said, not wanting to be rude for once. Drake nearly snorted at her weak and helpless tone; to his ears, it was nothing but a farce.

"Good," Mark said, "'Cause we do too."

And with that, they took off into the night.

"…_have you no sense…" _

Diana leaned her head out the window during the drive, wondering about the couple in the front seats. They seemed nice enough—Bethany kept trying to start up a conversation with Drake and find some music he liked on her ipod. Needless to say, her attempts were in vain.

Mark was the quieter of the two. He didn't say much and watched the road carefully, like a hawk watches a mouse. His cardinal hair curled around his earlobes and flew out behind him in the wind. He and Bethany held hands throughout the drive, though they made no other public display of affection. _Perhaps they're embarrassed about us catching them earlier_, Diana mused.

But something else was bothering her. Something about the two of them was off; Diana was sure of it. It was something in their eyes; the way Bethany was so innocent and trusting; the way Mark did what she asked without question. Something just didn't _feel_ right.

_We shouldn't have accepted this ride._

But then how else would they have gotten out of the woods? No, Diana concluded, it was either letting Mark and Bethany give them a ride or having Drake kill them and steal their car. And, as ruthless as she was, even Diana wouldn't sink so low as to have Merwin murder for her.

"_plenty of it he answered  
but at times we get tired  
of using it…"_

After about fifteen minutes, the car slowed to a stop in a neighborhood of Perdido Beach Diana didn't recognize. She frowned as Mark turned off the ignition and Bethany unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Why are we stopping?" Drake demanded.

"Well," Bethany reasoned, "you _said _thatyou and Diana wanted to go to Perdido Beach, didn't you? Well, we're in Perdido Beach."

"Where?" Diana questioned.

Something about neighborhood unnerved her. The houses were older and darker than she'd remembered; there were hardly any lights on, and all of the streetlamps were at least three blocks away. All in all, the effect was rather creepy.

"My house," Mark answered gruffly, turning to look Diana in the eye for the first time.

It was an unnerving experience. He had anthracite eyes, the darkest she'd ever seen. It was like staring into a deep cave.

"I live at Mark's now, too," Bethany piped up. She, too, turned to look at Diana. "We can make you both something to eat before you go."

Where Mark's eyes had been unnerving, Bethany's were frightening. They were the deep, rich shade of hyacinth. Swirling colors danced around her irises, creating a witch-like effect. They were almost terrifying to stare into. Diana was certain she'd never seen such extraordinary eyes.

And yet…_she had_. Something about Bethany was painstakingly familiar, though Diana couldn't for the life of her remember what. She felt as though she'd seen the girl before, or at least her eyes. But where?

"Well, are you coming or not?"

Diana blinked, picking out from Bethany's tone that this was not the first time she'd asked the question. She and Mark were standing side by side outside of the convertible, and Drake was following them. Apparently, the promise of a meal and the comfort of a sofa were too much for even a sadist to resist.

"Sure," Diana said, unwilling to be left alone. Drake might have wanted her dead and been as cruel as they came, but at this point, she'd rather his company than none at all.

Diana hopped out of the car, for the first time noticing the kids around her. Some sat on the stoops of their doorsteps, others stood by their friends, and some leaned against their walls. Some were silent, but most were murmuring to each other, their eyes flicking back and forth from each other to Diana.

_Definitely_ creepy.

"Diana! What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get your ass over here!" Drake yelled, breaking the night's quiet.

The kids froze for a moment, as if listening intently to his words, and then resumed their chatter, more excited and energetic than before. But Diana paid them no more mind; she was too pissed off at Drake to notice.

"All right, already, I'm coming!"

She stomped up the steps of Bethany and Mark's house, slamming the door behind her.

"_we get bored with the routine  
and crave beauty  
and excitement…" _

The inside of Bethany and Mark's house was much nicer than the outside. The hallways were lit and music played distantly from somewhere down the hall. The walls were painted a cheerful blue, though it looked like in certain sections they were repainting and turning the blue into a vibrant red and glowing gold.

"Remodeling?" Diana asked lightly, sitting down at the kitchen counter.

Bethany nodded. "It was time for a change. Besides, red and gold are my favorite colors."

Mark opened up their fridge, clearly looking for something to cook. Diana frowned.

"Do you need some help?" she asked, having had experience with boys and their cooking disasters before.

But Bethany only laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. Mark's a great cook, right, Mark?"

Mark nodded. "I'm a little out of touch, though."

Bethany rolled her eyes. "You'll make something wonderful, as usual. Quit worrying."

Mark threw a grin over his shoulder, and Drake sneered at their playful conversation. Diana didn't really mind it as long as it kept the two of them from asking herself and Drake awkward questions. For instance, why they'd come back to Perdido Beach when they'd been kicked out only a month previous. She couldn't really answer with, "Well, my semi-sane sort-of boyfriend sent us on a recon mission during one of his brief lapses of sanity" could she?

But neither of them asked. Either they were really that stupid, or they didn't care.

"What're you making?" Drake asked, blunt as usual.

"Soup and pasta. It's preservatives for us now," Mark answered, sounding embarrassed.

Diana couldn't have cared in the least; pasta sounded like heaven right then. Back at Coates, they were running out of food ten times faster than the Perdido Beach kids, and the pasta had been gone for over two weeks. Soup they had, but not for long, Diana knew.

"Sounds good," Diana said.

Suddenly, she frowned. "Hey," she said, "What did you say your last names were?"

Bethany laughed. "We didn't," she responded. "But it's Codmey. And Mark's is Perdol."

Diana nodded, satisfied. Still, something about their names bothered her.

"Um, can I use the bathroom?" Diana asked, rising.

Bethany nodded. "It's down the hall and to your left," she said.

Diana pushed her seat in and headed for the bathroom.

"Better hurry!" Mark called. "Dinner'll be ready in just a minute."

"If you're not back by then, Landris, I'm eating your share," Drake warned, Bethany's laugh almost drowning out his threat.

"…_fire is beautiful  
and we know that if we get  
too close it will kill us"_

Diana walked down the hall to the bathroom, lost in thought. Bethany and Mark seemed to be the perfect host and hostess; kind, welcoming, not too nosey. Still, there was something about the couple that bothered her. Something about the gleam in their eyes and the way they looked at each other. As if they were waiting for something to happen.

Diana entered the bathroom and quietly shut the door behind her. It was red and gold, and Diana figured it must have already been repainted. The walls were adorned with pictures of beaches and waves; in one a man stood alone in the surf, his blonde hair tossed about in the wind. His and her towels were placed on the metal rack, and scented soap was next to the faucet. A beautiful bathroom.

When she was finished using it, Diana stepped out of the bathroom and decided to continue down the hall. It was in her nature to be nosey, and she wanted to know more about Bethany and Mark.

Diana opened the first door she came upon, which happened to be the one to Bethany's room. It, too, was painted red and gold, and the sheets matched accordingly. A lava lamp glowed in the dark room from Bethany's bedside table; at her desk was a laptop and a few family photos. All the photos featured a smiling girl around Diana's age with Bethany's smile and blooming cheeks. The girl was blushing beautifully, obviously camera shy, and had an arm wrapped around Bethany's waist. They were probably sisters.

Before leaving Bethany's room, Diana spotted her trophy shelf, filled with awards for public speaking and foreign languages. She then quietly shut the door.

Next was Mark's room; nothing exciting in there. Just a few posters and magazines lying around. A surf board in its upright position near the closet, a shirt thrown casually across the back of his chair, and his bed unmade. A typical teenage boy's room.

Satisfied with her findings, Diana headed back to the kitchen to eat.

"…_but what does that matter  
it is better to be happy  
for a moment…" _

When she arrived, Drake was already shoveling pasta with marinara sauce in his mouth. Great chunks of noodles and pieces of some reheated meat dripped down his chin. A soup bowl sat next to his plate, and Diana could see that he'd already downed half of it.

"Don't choke, now," Bethany giggled.

Diana rolled her eyes at Drake's behavior. She sat down and gracefully began to eat, careful not to chew too fast. Though she was starving, she forced herself to eat slowly and meticulously, not wanting to be barbaric.

"This is great, Mark," Diana said after a minute, giving Mark one of her infamous grins.

Mark returned the favor with a small smile of his own. "Glad you think so."

Drake's head popped up from his plate; his face was smeared with sauce and he spoke with his mouth half-full. "Aren't you two going to eat?"

Bethany giggled again. "No, we've already eaten."

Something about that comment unnerved Diana, but she brushed it off. Not wanting the meal to be awkward, she tried to start up a conversation. "So, one good thing about the FAYZ; no school. I'm kinda glad about that. But I was never any good at school. You?"

Bethany bobbed her head, her face beatific. "Yes, I was pretty good."

"What about Spanish? God, foreign languages were awful," Diana said in between slurps of soup.

"Oh, I never took Spanish," Bethany said, still smiling. "I was a Latin major."

Something about that simple statement made Diana's blood freeze. She forced herself to continue eating, trying to reassure herself that it was nothing. Nothing but nerves. After all, Merwin didn't seem at all concerned.

Then again, Diana thought, glancing at her male companion, Drake was as thick as a rock.

A few moments later, after a slightly awkward pause in the flow of conversation, a sudden blast of music broke through the night. It was heavy and loud, and Diana's plate seemed to rattle with the intensity of it.

"What the _hell_?" Drake asked, taking his head out of his food for the first time in minutes.

Bethany and Mark sighed.

"It's just our neighbor, Sophia," Bethany explained. "She likes to play loud music at night."

Diana glanced at her wrist watch. "At three a.m.?"

"…_and be burned up with beauty  
than to live a long time…"_

Bethany shrugged, rising. "It's harmless enough."

Both she and Mark crossed to the kitchen window, taking a peek through the curtains. Diana and Drake followed after they heard the yell of a teenage boy.

Diana peeked over Mark's shoulder, and Drake peeked over hers. What she saw was an extremely unusual sight, even for the FAYZ.

A girl with luteous-colored hair and eburnean skin was dancing in the center of her driveway. She was about twelve years old, dressed in skinny jeans and a stylish lavender top, and was doing the pop-lock-and-drop-it. But that wasn't the unusual part.

Standing in a circle around her, swaying to the beat, were what looked like the rest of the neighborhood. All the kids were laughing and dancing; the girls swinging their hips back and forth and the boys attempting The Worm. Even the younger kids sat on the sidewalk, clapping their hands to the beat and talking amongst themselves.

The music was escaping from several speakers, all of which were hooked up to Sophia's house. The street seemed to vibrate with the music, and someone had even brought out a few flashing lights and disco balls. The combined effect was quickly giving Diana a headache.

Bethany _tisk_-ed and shook her head. "How many times have I told her, Mark? She really mustn't play her music so loud. Tonight, of course, it doesn't really matter, but on other nights she _must _be more careful. She'll wake the living with that noise."

"_..and be bored all the while…" _

Diana replayed Bethany's phrase in her head after a moment. _Wake the living. _Who said that? She'd heard of people saying something was loud enough to wake the dead…

_But the living? _

Slowly, Diana turned to face her palled hostess. "What did you say?"

Bethany blinked. "I was complaining about Sophia's music."

Diana shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest. "No, after that."

Bethany shrugged. "I said it was loud enough to wake the living."

"_so we wad all our life up  
into one little roll  
and then we shoot the roll…" _

Diana heard her heart pounding in her head. "The living?" she whispered.

Bethany and Mark chuckled at her shocked expression. For the first time, it also seemed as though Drake realized something was wrong. He glared at them and opened his mouth to demand something, before a confused look swept over his face. In a moment he'd turned green and was on his knees, vomiting.

"Why, yes!" Bethany sang, stepping over Drake's convulsing form. "The living."

Diana's eyes widened. "You mean you're…"

Mark nodded and Bethany's hyacinth eyes flashed. "Dead," she finished. "Surprised?"

"…_that is what life is for…"_

Diana would have answered had she not suddenly become violently sick on the floor next to Drake. "What was in that food?" she moaned.

Bethany giggled again, twirling around like some demented ballerina. "Just a little dash of revenge!"

Mark snorted, catching Bethany before she tripped and fell. "God, you living people are so _stupid_. I mean, the paint job, our names, and, hell, even Bethany's Latin awards should have clued you morons in."

"To what?" Diana gasped, giving dry heaves. "That you're dead?"

"No, idiot, though that should have been the first thing you thought of," Bethany chided. "Hello? I was a _Coates_ girl. Get it? Codmey—Coates Academy!"

The insane ghost howled with laughter.

"And my name," Mark continued for her. "Perdol? Perdido Beach School!"

Both were soon beside themselves, giggling hysterically.

"God, it wasn't even hard. And after all this planning, all it took was one car ride, a hot meal, and some eyelash batting to get you here." Bethany smirked.

By now, Diana had regained some of her strength. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, glaring and Bethany and Mark. She pulled her lips back and growled, trying to look menacing.

"Why?" she asked, struggling as Drake was to stand. "Why us?"

"_it is better to be a part of beauty  
for one instant and then cease to  
exist…" _

"Like I said," Bethany whispered. "Revenge. You killed us. Now it's time to return the favor."

Diana's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Kill? I've never killed anyone."

Bethany narrowed her eyes. "Oh, yes you did. You killed us, Diana. You and your boys, Drake and Caine…you killed us all."

Diana's heart nearly stopped beating as she figured out the hidden meaning behind Bethany's words. "You're all ghosts. _All_ of you?"

Mark nodded grimly. "Yes. We're dead, all right. Been that way for over a month."

Bethany put her hands on her skinny hips, sneering down as Drake and Diana as they leaned against the red and gold wall. "It's about time you paid for your sins," she hissed.

"I didn't kill you," Diana whispered as the pair moved closer.

"But you didn't _prevent_ my death either. And you could have. So easily."

Bethany knocked over a chair that was in her way, her hyacinth eyes glowing with unshed fury. "You don't even remember me, do you!" she screamed.

"Little bitch," Mark growled darkly.

Diana gasped for breath, suddenly finding the air thinner and the light dimmer. Darkness creeped along the halls and shadows expanded; the vibrations of the music stole into the beat of her heart, forcing it to pound painfully in Diana's chest. Colors swirled and danced on the walls, flitting around the edges of Bethany and Mark's feet.

"Y-you and your sister went to Coates?" Diana stalled, desperate to keep them talking. If she was lucky, she'd buy herself and Drake enough time to think of a way to escape.

"Yes, you stupid whore. My sister Rose and I went to Coates. You _should_ remember her. After all, she was the first girl Caine had you read to test for the power."

Bethany was much closer now, her eyes narrowed into hate-filled slits. "You had better remember my sister."

And then it hit Diana. Rose. Rose Backwater.

Rose was a quiet, shy girl who'd been in Diana's grade before the poof. She'd had the ability to disappear, to literally turn invisible, when she felt embarrassed enough. Diana could remember reading her and holding her hand just over two months ago.

"I remember," Diana whispered. "You were the Backwater sisters."

Drake shot her a confused glance, but Diana ignored him. Bringing Drake into the discussion would only make things worse.

Bethany nodded. "And do you remember me?"

She did. Bethany had been the sweet younger sister of Rose, and another of Diana's early reads. Bethany had had the power to give people visions of things that weren't there; to cause them to hallucinate. They weren't powerful, but they were enough to cause Caine some worry. Diana could remember the day they'd cemented the freaks.

"_Please," Rose had pleaded before Caine._

_Her hands were being dipped in the cement as Drake held her down. Diana stood by Caine's side, looking bored. _

"_I told you, Rose, no one gets out of this," Caine had said. "You and your sister were disloyal. And now you're paying the price."_

_Tears sprung to Rose's eyes. "Please," she continued to beg, "not my sister. Not Bethany. You can't cement her. She won't survive." _

"_Would you shut _up_?" Drake had growled. _

"_What are you talking about?" Diana had interrupted. _

"_Bethany has diabetes," Rose whispered frantically, her eyes trained on Diana's face. "If she doesn't get her insulin shots, she'll die." _

"_Hey!" Drake had yelled. "I thought I told you to shut up!" He slapped her. _

"Please_!" Rose had screamed. "She'll die without them!" _

_Rose was dragged forcefully away as Bethany was brought in. The sisters called out to each other, tears rolling down both sets of cheeks. Diana had stared into Bethany's frightened hyacinth eyes for the first time that day. But she hadn't stared long. _

_Diana and Caine didn't pay Rose's pleas any mind. Surely Federico or Benno or Andrew would feed and care for Bethany. There was no need to get so upset. It wasn't as though they were killing them. It wasn't as though they were going to starve… _

"…_than to exist forever  
and never be a part of beauty…"_

Diana closed her eyes. She knew.

"You were a diabetic," she whispered. "You died because Andrew didn't get you your insulin shots."

She didn't have to open her eyes to see Bethany's small lips slashed into a grimace.

"That's right," Bethany said. "I died within the first two days. I died in my sister's arms. You made her watch."

"We didn't _make_ her do anything," Drake growled. "The dumb bitch should've gotten rid of you when she could. She didn't have to try and take care of you."

Bethany howled in rage. "Don't you dare insult my sister!"

The music picked up in tempo and beat. Diana opened her eyes a crack and found the colors from the strobe lights blazing inside the house, burning her eyes. Azuline, aurulent, coquelicot, and jacinthe lights danced around room, spinning psychotically and making Diana ill. Even when she closed her eyes they penetrated her lids and burned her skin.

"It's time for you to face justice," Mark whispered darkly. "You've killed all of us. Crushed us under the church; set your coyotes on us; starved us. It doesn't matter. It's time for you to face your punishment."

Bethany cackled in agreement, the music so loud now that it shook the walls. Diana and Drake sunk to their knees, feeling as though their eardrums would burst. A trickle of blood ran from Diana's nose.

"It's just too bad that asshole Caine isn't with them," Bethany said. "Still, his own madness is punishment enough."

And then the front door exploded open.

"Hello!" a high-pitched voice called out. "Were you two going to make us wait outside for all eternity? We wanna see the fun!"

Sophia sauntered into the kitchen, her eyes livid and a Mona Lisa smile tainting her lips. Her short skirt swished around her thighs and her hands were curled into fists on her hips.

"You wanted to keep them all to yourselves, didn't you?" she accused.

"Oh, never," Bethany deadpanned.

"We were going to move this outside in a moment," Mark cut in.

Sophia flicked a strand of luteous hair over her shoulder and raised an expectant eyebrow. "Well? Get on with it."

Against her own will, Diana found herself standing, pulled by unseen hands to her feet. It felt as though Caine were raising her and pushing her forward with the power.

Drake, snarling and cursing, was carried along as well. By now Diana's head was throbbing and her blood was boiling. She felt as though her body were revolting against her, and was doing everything within its power to attack her.

They were shoved through the remains of the doorway to face the crowd of deceased FAYZ residents. All had vicious grins on their faces and were hungrily licking their lips and shouting at Diana and Drake. Sophia threw a swift and painful kick at Diana, hitting her in the leg. Diana cringed as the ghosts howled with delight. Soon many of them joined in, kicking, punching, and spitting on Diana and Drake, who were powerless to stop them.

"_our attitude toward life  
is come easy go easy"_

Drake roared incoherently with pain and embarrassment. His whip squirmed and thrashed at his side, unable to break free of the death grip that surrounded him.

A ten-year-old girl and her eleven-year-old friend punched Drake repeatedly in the jaw, causing blood to spurt from his lips and something to crack. A nine-year-old boy sucker punched Drake in the stomach, while a six-year-old girl viciously bit Drake on the arm, drawing blood. She ripped and clawed at his bare skin, taking off as much of it as possible with her fingernails and canines. When her face finally pulled back, she was covered in blood. She smiled at Drake, his blood dripping down her chin, and a piece of his flesh trapped between two of her teeth.

"Kill them!" the kids chanted, beating harder and harder on Drake and Diana, the music playing hauntingly in the background. "Kill the murderers! Kill the bastards! _Kill them! KILL THEM!_"

Bethany grinned and kicked Drake behind the knees, letting the invisible hands go as he tumbled to his feet. Diana was giving the same treatment, her hair matted, her lip already swollen, her pants ripped, and her soft skin clawed at. The look in her eyes alone was terrifying enough; it was raw panic.

"I think it's time the traitors received their punishment!" Bethany cried, throwing her head back. "Capitol punishment!"

The crowd roared with approval. "Kill them!" they chanted.

"Have they suffered enough?" Mark yelled, his normally soft and quiet voice carrying out powerfully to all who listened.

"No!" Sophia cried. "Let me rip their faces to shreds. Especially that pretty girl, Diana!"

An eleven-year-old girl by her side nodded. "Maim her! Maim them both!"

"Make them pay! Make them pay! Make them! Make them!"

Bethany and Mark nodded to them.

"_we are like human beings  
used to be before they became  
too civilized to enjoy themselves…" _

The kids rushed forward again, bloodlust on each face.

Diana closed her eyes.

Drake pulled his lips back from his teeth. _Bring it on. _

Wrists were stepped on. Knifes were used. Blood spurted in every direction, covering the pavement. The ghosts held no mercy within their hearts. They had nothing to loose and everything to gain. Even the youngest ones participated in the acts of violence, clawing and biting when they could.

Locks of hair were ripped from Diana's head. Her shirt was torn apart, exposing her breasts, which were sliced at with daggers. A girl repeatedly stepped on Diana's leg until blood was drawn and bones were broken; another repeated the process with her arm.

The whip was the first thing to go. A fourteen-year-old boy sawed it off of Drake's arm, laughing when he screamed and tears rolled down his cheeks. The tears of fury and anguish continued as punches were delivered and various parts of Drake's body were stepped on. Someone had located a metal baseball bat and brought it down again and again on Drake's legs and midriff.

The pain was mind blowing.

"…_and before i could argue him  
out of his philosophy…" _

After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, Bethany raised a hand. Immediately the kids backed off, leaving Drake and Diana in a state of horrifying agony. It was all they could do to continue breathing.

"And now," Bethany whispered, her voice cool and seductive under the tempo of the insane music, "it's time for the execution."

Drake and Diana were roughly scooped up and carried down the street, their legs dangling uselessly beneath them. Both knew they didn't have long before they died. The pain was too excruciating and the blood too great. It was only a matter of when.

Diana had only enough strength remaining in her to crack open an eyelid and watch as the mob of kids carried her and Drake down the street. The stump that was previously his whip hand bled profusely, and Diana could hear the faint murmur of cusses escaping Drake's lips. She found it miraculous that Drake was even still conscious, much less talking. As much as the ghosts hated her, they hated Drake with an even greater passion.

Within a few minutes, they were in the back yard of some kid's house. Grass crunched under her holder's feet, and a thought struck Diana; if they were dead, how could the ghosts hold and beat her? Shouldn't their arms and legs pass right through her body? After, the spirits no longer had physical bodies.

And yet, her wounds and pain were very, _very _real. Somehow these kids had managed to come back to haunt both her and Drake.

And to make the pair join them in the ranks of the dead.

Suddenly Diana's carrier halted, throwing her to the ground. Diana whimpered.

"Get up," Sophia growled. "Get up and face your punishment."

Diana and Drake were forced to stand, having no choice but to support the other. Diana leaned on her one good leg, the other twisted at an improbable angle. Drake's legs were badly bruised, but intact for the most part. He tried not to think about the stump that had replaced his whip hand.

"Now," Bethany said, her voice ringing out among her audience, "we've maimed and tortured the killers; we've humiliated and disgraced them. We've taken away every ounce of their pride as they did to us. And, after all that, it's time they died."

She paused to clear her throat. "In the Constitution, it states that those caught in the act of treason will be given capitol punishment, which is death by public hanging. Well, it doesn't have to be public, but I think we can make an exception just this once."

She and Mark took a step forward. "All those in agreement say 'Aye.'"

"Aye," the children chorused ominously.

"The vote is unanimous," Mark said darkly.

Bethany grinned cruelly. "Good. I hate retakes."

She whirled around and beckoned a fourteen-year-old boy and a twelve-year-old girl forward. "Chain them and bring them to the gallows," she ordered.

The two nodded and walked calmly toward Drake and Diana, their eyes lit with fire. Drake threw a weak punch in self defense, but only succeeded in earning another kick to the chest. This time Diana was sure they'd broken one of his ribs, judging from the way Drake howled and sunk to the ground.

The girl rolled her eyes and forced him to stand. "What's the matter, coyote boy? Can't take whatcha dish out?"

Diana was hoisted to her feet by the boy, who gave her a shove forward. Diana hopped on her one good leg, knowing that she looked like a fool, and knowing that the crowd was enjoying it.

She hopped forward for two blocks, the boy behind her shoving her in the back every once in a while when he thought she was going too slow. Drake was a bit better off, though not by much, and walked by Diana's side. It was one of the only times she'd seen his grey eyes filled with hate and aimed at someone other than her. It was almost refreshing.

After the second block the party came to a stop at the gallows. They held two nooses suspended in air, with the help of various ropes and blocks of wood, and a small platform, just big enough for Diana and Drake to stand on with two executioners behind them. Underneath the nooses were two trapdoors, which would fall out from underneath their feet when a lever off to the side was pulled down.

The sight of it filled Diana's heart with dread. She moaned in fear.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sophia asked, catching up with them. She glared daggers at Diana and Drake's handlers. "Lead them up already!"

The boy opened and closed one of his hands in the likeness of Sophia's flapping lips and mimicked her words in a high-pitched voice. The girl giggled and winked at him.

_Even in the after life and at an execution, their still flirting with each other, _Diana thought in amazement.

Sophia slapped the boy on the arm, her topaz eyes wide with fury. "Stop fooling around, you idiot! We don't have all night."

With that, Drake and Diana were led up the steps and onto the platform. They were forced to stand on the trapdoors as the nooses were fitted to their necks and their hands were bound behind their backs. The crowd grumbled impatiently, probably wishing they could still eat popcorn and enjoy soda.

The executioners stood behind Drake and Diana, staring straight ahead. Diana tried to plead and reason with them, but to no avail. It seemed as though they were in a coma, unable to respond to the rest of the word. Diana began to weep.

"Would you stop that?" Drake growled weakly.

Diana sniffed. "Shut up, Merwin. I'm about to die here; do you think that maybe, just maybe, you could stop insulting me for that long?"

Drake spat a mouthful of blood and saliva onto the wood beneath them. He looked hellish. "That's not what I meant, Landris," he whispered. "Don't give them what they want. They want to see you weak. Be strong."

Diana closed her eyes in agony. "It hurts," she whispered. "Everything hurts so freaking bad."

And it was true. Her broken leg throbbed, her chest screamed, and her arms were in ribbons. Everything, every movement, was excruciating.

"Get over it," was all Drake said.

"…_he went and immolated himself…" _

Bethany stepped forward from the crowd of crazed kids. She smiled cruelly and held Mark's hand before clearing her throat.

"Tonight," she said, silencing the crowd, "is a very special night for both the living and the dead. It is the shortest day of the year, and the one day that eternity and mortality are joined. It is the day the great Goddess gives birth to the divine being, and it is the day that the dead can once again walk among the living. Tonight we regain control of our earthly bodies and seek revenge on those who have wronged us."

She pointed a finger at Drake and Diana. "These two are the ones responsible for our deaths. They have murdered and they have turned a blind eye to murder. And now it is time for them to pay the price. It is time for us to finally be put to rest; to gain our revenge!"

"…_on a patent cigar lighter"_

The crowd roared with approval.

"Kill them!" Mark cried.

The nooses were tightened. Diana held back her tears, thinking of Drake's words. She had to be strong.

Just as the lever was about to be pulled, something strange happened to the crowd. It was as though they were wax figures left out in the sun to melt; their eyes began to droop, their lips puffed out, their stomachs bloated. Teeth fell out and skin rotted. Fingers swelled and blood ran down one child's eyes like crimson tears. A tongue fell out of a boy's mouth, and hair died and landed at the feet of the children. Ribs poked out of bodies, and intestines slithered out of openings in their middles. Guts trickled down and landed at their feet, which were rapidly falling apart. Already, some looked like partial skeletons with bones poking out of their hands and faces. Puss ran from their black nose holes, and other strange liquids ran from other various body parts.

Out of all of them, only Bethany was untouched. She was just as lovely as before, and the scene around her didn't seem to affect her cocky smile. If anything, it seemed to encourage her.

"I'll see you in hell," she whispered.

"_i do not agree with him  
myself"_

Diana closed her eyes as the lever was thrown and trap door beneath her feet opened.

"_i would rather have  
half the happiness and twice  
the longevity"_

Screaming in mortal terror, Diana jolted up into a sitting position, gasping and sweating. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the surrounding trees; grass crunched under her thrashing limbs; birds twittered in alarm at her display of fright. She was in a forest; the same forest she'd been in when she'd gone to sleep.

The sun was just warming the sky with its light. Diana could see it hadn't risen long ago, and that the early risers were getting up for the day. Birds flew from tree to tree and squirrels dashed across the forest floor. It looked like any other peaceful morning in Perdido Beach.

_What the hell? _

"Landris! Stop screaming; you'll wake up the whole town," Drake grumbled, sauntering into view.

Diana stared at him with disbelief. His whip hand was still attached to his arm, and he appeared to be perfectly calm and in control. Then again, it was Drake…

"Err…Drake," Diana coughed, her voice horse from screaming, "Did anything weird happen to you last night?"

Drake's eyes became dangerously dark. "Like what?"

"Like getting kidnapped by psychopathic ghosts, being beaten, and almost being executed."

Drake flinched, but regained his cool in a moment. "You're crazy," he growled.

"No, I'm not!" Diana protested. "I _know_ you know what I'm talking about. You were there. Admit it, Merwin. We were both there."

Drake shook his head, grinning his shark's grin. "I think the FAYZ has finally gotten to you, Landris. You're cracking up like Caine."

In a fit of fury, Diana marched over and pulled the collar of Drake's button-up shirt down, revealing long claw marks that dug deep into his flesh. Drake slapped her hand away and fixed his shirt, but the damage was done. Diana smiled triumphantly.

"It doesn't mean anything," Drake insisted. "It was just a dream."

"A dream?" Diana said incredulously. "A dream that we both had and a dream that gave us scratches?" She rolled up her sleeves to reveal her own claw marks, feeling more than a few further under her shirt.

"We probably got them when those mountain lions chased us," Drake reasoned.

"What mountain lions?"

Drake groaned in frustration. "The ones that attacked us last night, you moron!"

"Drake," Diana whispered, "if there were mountain lions, there would be tracks. Besides, we're right back where we went to sleep last night. How could we be if we ran halfway across the forest?"

Drake paused to think up an explanation, but none came to mind.

"C'mon," he finally said, bending down to scoop up his backpack and gun, which had mysteriously reappeared. "Let's go back to Coates."

"What about Caine?" Diana called, watching as Drake stomped out the remains of their fire.

"Screw Caine!" he spat, turning around and heading back the way they came.

For once in her life, Diana actually agreed with him.

"…_but at the same time i wish  
there was something…" _

With Mark on one side and Sophia on her other, Bethany watched the retreating forms of Drake and Diana with hate-filled eyes. She pushed a lock of hair from her pinched face and turned to glare at her partner.

"We lost them," she whispered venomously.

"Don't look at me," Mark protested. "If you hadn't insisted on all the theatrics, they'd be _dead_ right now."

Bethany let out a scream and threw up her hands furiously. Sophia watched the scene with amusement, stooping down to pet one of the mountain lions by their sides. The beast purred and leaned into its master.

"Will you relax?" Sophia asked, running her petite fingers through the feline's fur. "We'll get them eventually. It's only a matter of time before we have their blood on our hands, Beth."

Bethany suppressed a snarl in Sophia's direction. As good as she was with animals, the girl was one accomplice she could do without.

"How?" she hissed. "How, exactly, to you propose we do _that_?"

Sophia grinned. "Spring equinox."

Mark's eyebrows rose. "I thought that was the time meant for ghosts to _pass on_."

Sophia's wicked grin spread. "Exactly," she murmured, never taking her eyes off of her precious pets. "And to pass on we need peace. And to gain peace, I feel we're initialed to wreak a little havoc."

She glanced up at Bethany. "Wouldn't you say so?"

Bethany nodded, her eyes returning to the diminishing pair of murderers.

"It's like you read my mind," she said before snapping a stick between her palms, imagining it was Drake and Diana's necks.

"…_i wanted  
as badly as he wanted to fry himself"_

Definitions for the obscure and uncalled-for words used:

Nigrine: black

Nigricant: of a blackish color

Gunmetal grey: Gunmetal eyes are gray eyes with a hint of blue. (Isn't it perfect?)

Wolfish: looking as though you want to hurt or trick someone

Chartreuse: _A strong to brilliant greenish yellow to moderate or strong yellow green._ This is a vivid light green that contains a lot of yellow in the iris.

Castory: brown color; brown dye derived from beaver pelts

Cardinal: deep scarlet red color

Whey: off-white

Stramineous: strawy; light; worthless; straw-colored

Cupid's bow lips: a facial feature where the double curve of a human upper lip is said to resemble the bow of Cupid, the Roman god of erotic love.

Hyacinth: _A deep purplish blue to violet_. This is a clear, deep, vivid blue-violet color that is luminous and very beautiful. Those rare humans who have violet colored eyes like actress Elizabeth Taylor have eyes of this color.

Deadpanned: pretending to be serious when you are really joking

Palled: pale

Farce: a ludicrous or ridiculous action

Anthracite: black, like coal

Beatific: extremely happy and peaceful

Luteous: yellowish

Eburnean: of or like ivory; ivory-colored

Azuline: blue

Aurulent: gold-colored

Coquelicot: brilliant red; poppy red

Jacinthe: orange color

Mona Lisa smile: a mysterious smile or expression on a woman's face

Topaz: _Any of various yellow gemstones. _Topaz-brown eyes are a pale, clear, shining gold color that reflects back light and appears luminous. They are similar to champagne-colored eyes, but a slightly dark gold.

**So…yeah. What did you guys think? Too off the wall? **

**Anyway, congratulations if you recognized four or more words off of the list above; your vocabulary is probably broader than mine. **

**R&R? **


End file.
